


The party

by Leiya



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Party, pretending to meet the first time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 23:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16294160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leiya/pseuds/Leiya
Summary: At a party on a small planet the local souvereign introduces the Voltron Paladins and the Atlas crew as if they had never met. Shiro and Keith decide to go with it.





	The party

The party

God, this was going to be a boring evening. Keith hated diplomatic acts. He hated his duty to represent power and safety, but as the Black Paladin he didn’t always get around these things. The only! thing he was looking for tonight was that it wasn’t only Voltron present but also Atlas! And that meant he would finally see Shiro again! After eight too long phoebs of separate missions in different parts of the universe he would be reunited with his boyfriend of now… nearly ten years. And he still hated to be separated from this man especially when they weren’t able to keep any form of contact because of sheer distance. The universe was simply much too large and communication over light years was still hard to maintain even with Voltron and Atlas. Even the world’s mightiest robots had to obey the laws of nature after all.  
But now they had contact for a few days again and tonight Atlas was supposed to arrive as well. Keith was a bit giddy when he dressed up in his formal attire, a suit which contained earth and Galra elements to represent his status as member of both ethnics and a peace keeping link.   
There was a knock on his door and after a few seconds – he couldn’t even answer it – the other four Paladins entered his room in this planet’s castle. 

“And? Excited?” Lance asked with one of the broadest grins Keith had seen him make.

“I’ll be bored to death”, Keith replied, already assuming that this wasn’t what Lance meant and he was proven right:

“I don’t mean the party! That is my metier! I mean Shiro! You guys haven’t met in ages!”

“I don’t think Shiro and I are any of your business!” Keith replied. Really their relationship was theirs. They didn’t really hide it. Everyone of the paladins or the Atlas’ crew had seen them kissing at one point or the other. Nevertheless they still kept it down, barely called each other pet names in front of others and people who didn’t know them mostly thought they were close friends.

“Oh Keithy I just want my leader to be happy, and so I also care about his relationship!” Lance grinned broadly.

“My relationship is just fine, thank you. Let’s go. We have some representation to do.” Keith sighed. One last look into the mirror and he decided he looked good enough. Then they left the room and went over to the ceremony hall where they were greeted by this planet’s leader. Keith couldn’t pronounce the title but assumed that it was similar to a king. His name was equally unpronounceable so Lance had decided to call him Ted instead because he was tall and hairy (like all of his people) and he didn’t mind that nickname.

“I’m so happy you are here Paladins.” Ted said with a happy smile. “There are no burdens for tonight! I just want to celebrate peace with you!”

“So no need for cheesy speeches?” Keith asked full of hope.

“Exactly. Just celebrating. I guess you will…” But Ted couldn’t finish his sentence because the doors of the hall swung open and the crew of the Atlas entered the room also dressed in their formal attire and the sovereign went to greet them as well.   
Keith gulped. Even now after all this time as a couple and many years of close friendship before, Takashi Shirogane still stole his breath. He wanted nothing more than to run towards him and jump into his strong arms but he knew better. Patience yields focus he told himself. He would not blemish Voltron’s reputation by acting like a lovesick teenager.

They went over as well and Ted beamed. Before anyone could greet their friends he said: “I don’t think you’ve met before, right? This is the crew of the Atlas under Captain Shirogane my close friend! Good to see you again!” he said and shook Shiro’s hand enthusiastically. “And these are the Paladins of Voltron. Keith Kogane, their leader.” Lance started to laugh but was harshly elbowed by Pidge who looked at the situation curiously.

Keith looked at Shiro and some kind of mischief sparkled in both their eyes. Shiro stepped forward and gracefully took Keith’s hand. “I’m honoured to finally meeting the black Paladin”, he said with a slight bow, expression deeply serious.

“The honour is on my side, Captain.” Keith also bowed his head. 

“Atlas’ crew is from a small planet called Earth on the far end of the universe. But I guess you know it, right? At least I’ve heard a few of your Paladins are also from that planet.” Ted said not noticing the quiet murmurs of the crews; or interpreting them as surprise because of the same home planet instead of their leaders’ antics.  
Lance was about to say something when Pidge and Hunk went forth to greet the other earthlings in the group and Allura acted surprised to find another Altean in Atlas’ crew and went to greet Coran. Shiro’s crew got the hint and finally, after even Lance got it, he shrugged and acted along, greeting his own sister as if he had never met her before. 

Keith grinned. “I had feared tonight would be terribly boring. But I think, Captain, it developed for the better.”

“I can only return that. Do you mind getting a drink? I’m curious about you.”

“Not at all!” Keith laughed and accepted the offered arm. “Although I don’t think I’m a very interesting person.”

Shiro led him to the bar and ordered their favourite drinks. “Well, the way you present yourself tells me otherwise. You proudly wear Earth and Galra elements. And your scar indicates a very intense battle. That clearly speaks of a remarkable life.” 

Keith couldn’t help but blush as he accepted his drink. He didn’t quite believe how this man could still make his heart flutter despite knowing each other inside out.

He let the topic of the scar drop immediately. He still didn’t like talking about it too much, the other thing... “My father was a human. My mother is a member of the Blade of Marmora. I don’t know if you have heard of them.”

“I totally have! And you say your life isn’t interesting!”

“It sounds more interesting than it is...” Really. He didn’t want to brag about himself. He wasn’t proud of most of the things he’s done in his life.

“Care to elaborate?” Shiro asked with some kind of... worry in his eyes.

Keith hesitated. He could break this game off any time he knew that. He could say no but... He just took a sip from his drink.

“It’s nothing... Just I... It was a very long way to become the person I am today... It was far from easy to suddenly be a team leader I never wanted to be.”

“You didn’t?” Shiro also sipped on his glass. They had found a halfway quiet place near a wall where they could watch the party.

“Nope. Not at all. My best friend assigned me to the post in case he couldn’t lead the team anymore. I really felt thrown back. You know, I never wanted to lead... But he thought I would fit into his footsteps...”

“To be honest, I have to take his side. I’ve only heard good things about Voltron under your leadership. Your friend made a wise choice.” Shiro smiled and Keith wanted to hit him. But he didn’t perhaps this was a chance to talk about things, they never addressed... 

“I... As I said it took me years to grow into the position... He vanished and... seemed to return... And I ran... spent much time with the Blades because I didn’t want the responsibility. I felt so... lost...”

“I... am sorry to hear that.” Shiro said. Keith had never before admitted these feelings. “But you said he... seemed to return?”

“He died while fighting Zarkon. We got a clone back. Even I didn’t recognize it wasn’t him but perhaps it was because of my own fears... I wasn’t a good leader in the beginning unlike him... I wanted to reach our goal but I didn’t feel the individual strengths of my team... god, I so messed up...” Kith gulped down the rest of his drink.

“You did what you considered right. No one is a born leader.”

“He is!”

Shiro laughed. “Are you sure? There are people out there with natural authority but that alone doesn’t make you a good leader. Don’t you think your friend gathered his experience otherwise?”

Keith thought for a moment. “How did you learn to lead a team?” Perhaps the direct approach was better. They were playing a game right now after all. “If you want to answer that...”

The tall man next to him shrugged. “Trial and error. Listening to my team and their wishes. Getting to know them.”

“I am not the most social person or even very empathic. I guess that makes things even more difficult for me.” He thought back to the beginning of his leadership and all the mistakes he had made. “I... wanted everything at once, didn’t consider the fact that one of my team members had never piloted one of the lions before and one had to get used to another lion and didn’t have a knack with piloting as I have... I have failed them and it crashed my self-esteem... So when the clone appeared I gladly pushed him into my friend’s position by assisting the Blades...”

“I see... I didn’t know... I’m sorry.” Shiro looked at him breaking character. Keith knew he had the clone’s memories. Keith smiled a bit.

“It’s fine. Everything turned out well. I found my mother during that time and considered the team safe...”

“But it wasn’t...”

Keith nodded. “You know... my friend beat himself up because of what his clone did... But it wasn’t his fault no matter how much he feels like this. The clone was controlled by the witch Haggar...” Absentmindedly he touched the scar on his cheek.

“It was him who gave you that scar?” Shiro asked slipping back into character. “It must have hurt him like hell to see what he had done...”

“It did. It took him long enough until he lost the pained expression whenever he looked at me. And... I don’t even know if he still beats himself up for it...” They had never talked about that. At one point Shiro had accepted it but...

“It’s a pity to do this to a pretty face like yours... Especially when you feel like it’s your fault.” Now it was Shiro who drowned a big gulp of his drink. “But perhaps he noted he couldn’t beat himself up for it forever, especially since you seem to have forgiven him so easily. And you really seem to be close.”

“It wasn’t him! He would never endanger his friends! He loves them all too much! Especially me...” Keith noticed a small blush on Shiro’s cheeks and smiled. Then he emptied a drink. “Enough of these heavy topics. You wanna dance?” he asked and placed the empty glass on a butler’s tray.

Shiro did the same and offered Keith his right arm who took it.

“That’s a really... stylish prosthetic,” he noted.

“Yeah. Altean technology and Alchemy.”

“They are great, those Alteans, aren’t they?”

“A bit crazy from time to time, but yeah.”

They both laughed and Shiro swayed him into his arms to lead him around to the gentle sounds of music.

“What kind of music do you like?” Shiro asked.

“Rock music, and some kinds of metal!”

Shiro nodded and smiled. They danced to not only this song but the next two as well and talked and laughed. The heavy mood slowly disappeared and both seemed to be happy they had talked about these topics again. Another step to get each other even better. 

“I... haven’t asked... Do you have a... special someone?” Keith asked slyly after they took a break from dancing and enjoyed another drink.

“Err... well... to be honest... yes... There is someone in my life.”

“So? Seems to be a boring person, when you spend your evening here flirting with me...” Keith tried to pout.

“He’s far from boring! He’s amazing in every aspect! He has everything I have not! I can’t even find adequate words to describe him. And on top of that he’s the most beautiful person I’ve seen in the whole universe. He’s half Galra like you and... I still love him so much although we are together now for ten deca-phoebs. So... sorry if you had any hopes...” Shiro said apologetically.

Keith couldn’t help but blush. He wanted to break it all off right now and kiss Shiro and drag him to their rooms in the Atlas but... not yet. Patience!

“Then why are you flirting with me?” he asked.

“You remind me of him. You have the same kind of fire in your eyes. The fire I had noticed the moment I first saw him. And which had fascinated me from the very beginning. As I said sorry if I got your hopes up.”

Keith shook his head. “It’s fine. Besides... I have someone as well.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. So I guess, it’s fine.”

“What’s your partner like?” Shiro asked now smirking. Keith would wipe that grin off his face! He had just received a confession that had made his legs go weak, he could do the same!

“He... is the strongest person I’ve ever met! Handsome inside and out. He’s been through so much but still has a strong grip on his life. I don’t know if there’s anything that could make him fall. He once picked me up from the bottom and gave me something to strive for. He never stopped believing in me and... He made me the one I am today. I always wanted to be like him... with his gentle strength but... that’s his point. I can only adore him for who he is. Sometimes it’s still hard to believe he really wants a total mess like me.”

“Why isn’t he at your side then?” Shiro asked. His cheeks also pink from the loving words. Mission accomplished.

“He’s Captain of another ship and we had separate missions... We’re not very often lucky enough to work together all the times. And we haven’t seen each other in... Quite a while.”

“Do you miss him?” Shiro asked. 

“All the time he’s not at my side. Even if he leaves just for five minutes” He looked up at Shiro and felt his heart race. 

Shiro bowed down and gently pecked his lips. “I’ve missed you, too. And I’m so glad to have you back. I... love you.”

Keith smiled and leaned to Shiro’s side. “Want another dance? And then go back to our room?”

“I’d love to. The bed has missed you dearly, as well.”

“I’ve missed the bed, too. Especially with you inside. Without clothes.”

Shiro laughed again and kissed him once more. This time a bit more demanding. “You know there is one thing that can make me break... And that’d be losing you!” 

Keith smiled gently. “I won’t leave your side. You’ll never lose me.”

**

“Is this alright?” Ted asked Veronica and pointed to Keith and Shiro who quietly left the room looking deeply into each other’s eyes and kissing and touching each other clearly having further plans. “I mean... Captain Shirogane had told me about his relationship... wouldn’t his partner be angry if I let this happen?”

Veronica looked at him and then laughed. “Don’t worry, your Majesty. It’s all fine. No one will be mad and no one will be cheated on. And now excuse me, I guess my baby brother is about to do something stupid again!” She said and rushed to Lance’s side who was ripping his clothes off in an attempt to drunkenly flirt with his long time girlfriend Allura who was completely uninterested and scolded Coran for one of his antics.  
Ted looked after her. “Baby brother?” Apparently he had been fooled the whole evening.


End file.
